1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a rotary-position catch for rotatable storage units. More specifically, this invention relates to a catch for holding rotatable corner-type shelves in the closed position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has been common in the past to provide in kitchen cabinets corner shelves of the rotatable or "lazy susan" type. Such shelves have become popular because without them much cabinet space in the corner position either above or below the kitchen counter is wasted and not used due to the inaccessibility of items well back in the corner.
Basically, rotatable corner shelf units have taken either of two forms: structures in which a tubular element forms the vertical rotatable axis of the shelves, and forms in which the cabinet door has formed the vertical member and bearings have been disposed on or adjacent the upper and lower shelves.
Cabinet closures for rotatable shelves have also taken two forms. In one form, the closure has comprised a door formed of two vertical panels disposed at right angles to each other so as to be flush with the planes of the cabinet opening when the shelf unit is closed. These panels have been secured directly to aligned pie-sliced-shaped cut-outs in the shelves. Alternatively, the closure has taken the form of a door also formed of right angularly disposed vertical panels, but hinged to the cabinet door frame so as to swing closed. To permit such a closure, shelves or trays of units in the latter category have been notched in aligned pie-sliced-shaped openings so that the hinged door can be closed without interference from the shelves.
In all of the above structures, it is highly desirable to have catch means holding the shelves in the proper rotary position for closure so that in the first category of structures the door panels remain flush with the cabinet opening, and in the second category, the notches remain aligned with the opening so that the hinged door can readily close.
Rotary-position catches for rotatable shelves have taken many forms in the prior art. An example is shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,281,195, granted Oct. 25, 1966 to Anderson. In this patent, a fixed, notched, drum-like cam is disposed surrounding the axis of the shelves. A spring-biased roller follower is secured on the shelving closure and the parts are oriented so that the follower rests in the notch when the shelving door is in the closed position. Such structures of the prior art are complicated and require many parts and difficult assembly.
Another arrangement is presented in U.S. Pat. No. 3,868,156 which issued Feb. 25, 1975 to Vander Ley. In the structure shown in this patent, the shelving is free for a limited vertical movement and the bottom bearing presents a downward face cam which cooperates with an upward complementing face cam on the shelving mounting bracket. The arrangement is that the face cams interfit permitting the slight dropping of the storage unit when the shelves are in closed position. Thus, gravity serves as the catch. For the unit to open in either direction, the rotary face cam must be rotated against the force of gravity in a lifting operation. The primary drawback of such structures in the prior art is that they have required vertical movement of the shelving in shipping and installation. Moreover, the necessity for vertical movement has required significant clearances in the dimensioning of the shelving door frame.